When I was a kid the first hive I bought from Sears & R. had a migratory-type cover. It was made of three milled pieces plus two end bars so that it resembled a much flatter version of the English garden hive top that Brushy Mtn sells. The center piece was flat on the bottom and covered the joint between two pieces that sloped away from the flat toward the edges. The edges that overhung the sides of the hive had saw-cuts parallel to the hive that acted as drip-stops. It was a good piece of work.

I have a hankering to have one of those again but cannot mill the lumber, so I will build the garden hive top.

Does anyone have a plan for something like this? I have no desire to reinvent the wheel.

In the alternative, can any of you master woodworkers tell me how to build the old Sear & Roebuck top with only hand tools and a table saw?
Ox

02-25-2004, 12:18 PM

Dave W

Greetings Oxankle,

If you have a table saw, you should be able to "mill" the pcs you need.

I am having problems creating a mental picture of what you want to make. If you E-mail me a (hand-drawn) sketch, or can give some details in a description, I can tell you how to make it.

Here is a roof sort of like that for a WBC hive. You'd have to adjust the diminsions some for a Lanstroth hive.

Brushy Mt. sells them in both 8 frame and 10 frame with the copper top.

02-25-2004, 07:21 PM

Oxankle

Michael;
Thanks, but both the Garden Hive top and the WBC top are just telescoping tops.

The top I am trying to describe is a dressed up migratory top. The three top pieces form a ridged roof that is flat on the bottom. The slope of course is very slight, starting at 3/8 inch at the outer edge and rising to 3/4 inch thick about 2 inches from the center line. That center line is covered by a 4 inch piece that has a matching slope from center to edge.

At each end the boards are cut flat to a 3/8 thickness and that is set into a dadoe in the end bars. As best I recall the ridge piece, the top center piece, extends to the outer edge of the end bars.

It would be easy to build if I knew how to cut the taper on the two wide top boards. The center piece is narrow enough that it can be made with two passes of the saw.
Ox

02-26-2004, 09:13 AM

Michael Bush

Shakes (those hand split cedar shingles) are hand split (with a froe) into thick boards and then cut by eye from corner to corner on a band saw. Don't know if you have a band saw available, but it might work for your sloped roof pieces.

02-26-2004, 07:01 PM

Oxankle

Michael;
You have the principle down, but I could never get a smooth cut that way even IF I owned a bandsaw. The cut had to be half the width of a super less about 1 & 1/2 inches.

I think I am going to abandon that idea and just build the English Garden Hive top. That one is simple to build.
Ox

02-27-2004, 06:03 AM

Michael Bush

How about upside down shakes. In other words, put the thick end at the top and the thin end at the bottom and "shake" a migratory cover?

02-27-2004, 05:10 PM

Dave W

You may have seen "beveled" siding used on many houses. It comes in 6, 7, 8, sometimes 10" widths and any length you can afford.

This "board" tapers from approx 5/8" tk to about 1/8". All is smooth on one side, some smooth both sides.

You could use two pcs butted w/ thick edges in middle, cover the joint w/ strip 2-3" wide. It would make a nice "flat" roof w/ just a little slope.

Trouble is, this siding is hard to find in western cedar, and I bet you wont pay the price, if you find it in red wood. But, Maybe you could "recycle" some from the house next door. http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

------------------
Dave W . . .

A NewBEE with 1 hive.
First package installed
April, 2003.

02-27-2004, 05:26 PM

Oxankle

Dave;

Thanks a bunch. I did not know beveled siding was still made. Sure would not know it from what is being built here. Have not seen a piece of shiplap in years, either.

I can see that the beveled siding would do just exactly what I want to do. I'll start asking around.

Knowing what I do of lumber prices, it is unlikely that I will build just one such top. More likely that I will build the fancy-schmancy top like Brushy Mt. sells. It can be made of scrap.
Ox